Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ

Largest pipe organ

The Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ, known also as the Midmer Losh and the Poseidon, is the pipe organ in the Main Auditorium of the Boardwalk Hall (formerly known as the Atlantic City Convention Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built by the Midmer Losh Organ Company. It is the largest organ in the world, as measured by the number of pipes (officially 33,113, but the exact number is unknown). with a floor area of , giving a volume of Consequently, the organ runs on much higher wind pressures than most organs in order to achieve a volume loud enough to fill the hall. The organ has four entries in Guinness World Records, including largest pipe organ ever constructed, largest musical instrument ever constructed, and loudest musical instrument ever constructed, and holds several records in the organ world. It is one of only two organs in the world to have an open 64 foot rank,

The largest single stop in the organ by number of pipes, it contains 11 ranks totaling 803 pipes roughly 2.5% of the entire organ. The stop is spread across two chests, and speaks on 20" wind pressure. It was fully restored and brought back on line in 2023. The ranks are 10 2/3', 8', 5 1/3, 4', 3 1/5', 2 2/3', 2 2/7', 2', 1 3/5', 1 1/3', and 1', with the last three being separately available as a Scharf Mixture stop. The 8', 3 1/5', and 2' ranks use flared and tapered pipes, and the 2 2/3' uses harmonic pipes. The 4' pipes are double languid.

The organ has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest musical instrument, the loudest musical instrument and the largest pipe organ ever constructed, although some debate still exists about the last. Guinness also recognizes the Grand Ophicleide 16′ in the Pedal Right division to be the loudest organ stop in the world. The organ was recognized by the Organ Historical Society as an instrument "of historical value and worthy of preservation" as part of its Historic Organs Citations program. The Citation, No. 313, was presented to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority by Paul Marchesano on October 26, 2004. Officially, the organ has 33,112 pipes, but the exact number of pipes is unknown. A detailed survey conducted in 1999 concluded that the organ had 33,114 pipes, recently revised it to 33,116 after the discovery that one rank went down two notes lower than specified in the organ builder's contract.

In September 1998, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority provided a $1.17 million grant, which was used to return the Right Stage Chamber of the Main Auditorium organ and the entire Ballroom (Kimball) Organ to playable condition. Afterwards, a recording session took place, which captured the organ's record holders (the 64′ Diaphone Dulzian, and the 100″ Tuba Imperial and Grand Ophicleide).

Further damage to the organ took place during a 2001 renovation of Boardwalk Hall due to lack of planning and oversight and the carelessness of workmen. Pipes were removed, bent, and stepped on. (Organ pipes are made from soft alloys based on lead, so it is very easy to dent or crush them.) The 32 foot Trombone stop was effectively entombed in the building's walls when an opening in one of the upper chambers, which allowed the rank to speak through the grille in the ceiling, was sealed off. Windlines to various pipe chambers were cut, with no effort to identify the lines, nor any plans to re route or repair them. The relay for the left stage chamber was cut out without regard to its restoration, and various switching and control cables were cut. The 5 manual console connection was cut. Cement dust disrupted the switching contacts, magnets and the organ pipes. All this left the entire organ damaged and the Right Stage chamber, which was 98% operational in 1998, completely disabled. The relay of the Ballroom Organ was also removed in a careless way, which rendered that organ unplayable as well.

In 2013, the organ once again began to be restored, with 15 20% of the organ operational. The organ was played in September 2013 during the Miss America pageant, its first public performance in 40 years. Since May 2014, free half hour noon concerts followed by free half hour tours are offered Monday through Friday from May through October, excluding holidays. , in depth "behind the scenes" tours are available weekly on Wednesdays at 10 a. m. throughout the year. Both organs of the hall (the Ballroom features a 4/55 Kimball opus 7073) have begun to slowly return to the regular musical life of the building as their mechanical condition permits. The current restoration project led by the Historic Organ Restoration Committee (HORC, a 501(c) organization) is a $16M project entirely funded by donations from the general public and charitable foundations. Since the inception of the project, 2014 is the first year that the restoration effort has been fully funded. The restoration effort focuses on the re leathering of the entire instrument as well as the correction of damage to pipework and mechanical systems sustained from construction and water in the intervening years. Dr. Steven Ball was named titular organist on July 1, 2013. On September 1, 2015 Nathan Bryson became the fifth Curator of Organs at Boardwalk Hall. Full restoration of the organ is estimated to cost up to $13 million. In 2016, the Left Stage chamber was made operational for the first time in decades, with a special recital in July of that year. This chamber is now fully operational and restored and work was completed in 2019. HORC reports that as of 2023, 95% of the Ballroom Organ is operational, and more than 60% of the Main Auditorium organ is operational. Restoration work is ongoing and proceeding.